Crossfire: Loord

What happened with the legendary Golden Five, how did esports look like in 2001, and how does it look not from the player’s perspective, but from the coach’s? We catch Mariusz ‘Loord’ Cybulski, Head Coach of Team Kinguin CSGO, in the crossfire of questions.

TK: What were you doing, before coming to Esports?

Loord: I wasn’t doing anything in particular. Like other kids my age, I was going to school and wondering who I’ll be in the future. I was 14 back then, so what other things could I do?

For how long have you been you associated with esports?

I am present on the CS scene since version 1.3. I started playing in 2001, at net cafes, because it was really hard to get Internet access at home. Some time later, I finally managed to get it.

Do you remember your first proffesional team?

I think my first fully professional organisation, one which paid me salary, was Team Pentagram, later renamed to Pentagram G-Shock.

How did you feel at your first LAN event? Was it something really big for you, something you remember to this day?

I am actually not sure which of my LANs was the first serious one, but I think that I felt pretty much the same at every single one — there was the desire to win and show other players how good I am.

If I had to pick the first really serious event, I think I would choose WCG 2006, which we won. Mainly I felt excitement, I knew the tournament from viewing it, but being there as a player — unimaginable.

And how is it today? Are LANs less special for you?

Feelings I have as a coach are quite different from what I felt when I was playing. I do not have a direct impact on what happens during the match. I can only watch the guys from behind, so the level of excitement is not as high as in my player career.

Nevertheless, I still love LAN matches as much as players do. I get nervous when something doesn’t work and I am happy when we win. Often I feel helpless. I would like to have more impact on the game, but due to the change of VALVE’s rules, I don’t.

Some time ago you were rocking the scene with the boys from Golden Five. Why have you split your ways?

We had a tough time. Not only we weren’t getting results we wanted, but also we weren’t getting paid and that left us with no motivation.

Back then, times were completely different, the CSGO scene wasn’t developed as much as it is today. Some of us decided that we have to move on to another job, some decided to stick to the game and try with other players. At that time Pasha also thought about ending his career, and I am really happy that boys managed to convince him to not to, as we would have lost such a big personality.

Why did you decide to become a coach?

At some point I decided that I can bring more to the team as a coach than a player. Besides that, I lost motivation to work on my personal skills. I wanted to build a solid team, founded on the knowledge I acquired during my long career as a player.

How did you join Team Kinguin?

We joined Kinguin after our win in the last year’s tournament in Kiev (SLTV – 3rd place). It was the moment when our previous organization had to drop its CSGO division. We were looking for a new organisation and Hayabusa arranged a meeting with the head of Team Kinguin. After that, everything went really fast.

Are you fulfilled with your career as a coach? Don’t you miss the times when you were playing?

I think I still have much to prove as a coach. We work with the team to achieve better results. Currently there are many good teams on the scene and we work really hard prior to every event. I will feel fulfilled when we win a serious tournament with all top teams being there. As for staying in touch with the game, I’m in it pretty much everyday. Sometimes I also play for fun. The only thing I miss is the adrenaline tied with performing at LAN events.